The man almost laughed. He twisted to look at her. “You have guts, dragonrider. I’d like to see you fight.” His voice was hoarse and exhausted, yet there was a sparkle in his eyes that deeply touched Dorelle.
“We will do our best.”
He likes you. Mashira sounded surprised.
“Don’t tell me that,” Dorelle hissed. “It’s hard enough already. We have to get rid of Zomel and Ferren before I’ll even think about that!”
She focused on the black dot that had appeared above the coast and was closing in on them quickly.
Zomel says to prepare for death.
“Yeah, well, he never was very original,” Dorelle drawled, surprised at her own sarcasm.
“Zomel and Ferren?” the passenger asked. “Why do you have to fight them?”
Dorelle sighed and readjusted her bow. “He was my Wing Commander,” she finally admitted, making sure her sword moved easily in its sheath. “Until I had to run from him.”
Zomel was coming closer. Dorelle gritted her teeth.
“But I don’t have time for chatting anymore. Hang on.”
Mashira aimed upwards, trying to gain altitude for the upcoming battle. It was a battle of strength for now, to see which dragon could outclimb the other.
Despite the extra weight of her passenger, Mashira held the upper hand, exerting all her strength in the hopes of ending the fight soon.
When Zomel accelerated into an attack swoop, Mashira pushed herself a little further up and spewed a blast of flame into the black dragon’s face.
Zomel just closed his eyes and shook himself. The scales were mostly impervious to flame, but it seemed that Ferren was a little surprised. He shook his fist at Dorelle as both dragons wheeled to attack again.
“Is he saying anything?”
Mashira growled. Nothing I want to repeat.
The man they had rescued chuckled softly, and Dorelle realized that he could still hear her dragon.
Zomel was back, and this time his flames reached Mashira’s riders. Dorelle ducked and raised one arm to shield her face, and felt an instant of heat licking at her skin. Mashira had dropped quickly enough to avoid most of the fire.
Together, the dragons rose in the air, straining to gain an advantage. Once again, they flew at each other, fire spewing from their mouths.
This time, Dorelle had her sword out and ready. Zomel meant business, and so be it. When the big dragon swooped past, she slashed at Zomel’s legs, and missed.
Mashira had more luck, she grabbed Zomel’s tail with her teeth and chomped down hard. The big dragon’s speed pulled her around sharply; a movement that threw Dorelle against her safety straps and made the injured man scream. Mashira only let go when Zomel twisted around and slashed at her. Quickly, she dropped out of his reach.
There. First blood for me, Mashira growled.
Zomel roared and pulled away from them. Blood was dripping from his tail, but he only seemed more infuriated.
Once again, Mashira strained for height. Suddenly, she stopped and shifted to a quick glide.
I’m doing what Zomel expects. What he trained us to do. This is the only way he knows how to fight. We will surprise him by doing something different.
Dorelle grinned wickedly. “Did I ever tell you that I love you, my dear?”
Mashira dropped into a dive, veering away from Zomel, as if trying to run.
The big dragon roared in triumph and dove after them. Flames played around his mouth in an explicit threat.
Mashira suddenly reared up in the air to break her forward motion, rolled over on her back and raked her claws along Zomel’s belly as he barreled along over her. Then she dropped away from him and turned around, catching herself a dragonlength lower.
Zomel screamed in fury and pain. His scales had deflected most of Mashira’s attack, but two slashes on his belly bled thick, green blood.
Dorelle checked her passenger. He had indeed passed out during their latest maneuver. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Zomel says that we’ll definitely die for that.
Dorelle snorted and got her bow ready as Mashira regained attack height. Zomel was gaining height as well, trying to dive on them again.
“Stupid dragon. Let him aim for you. I’ll split his wings again. I’m done with them.”
Mashira allowed her wings to falter as if worn out, dropping a little. The large dragon did indeed lunge for her with his claws. Dorelle twisted on her dragon’s neck and quickly shot two of her precious arrows at their attacker. Both went cleanly through the mainsail of his left wing, opening gaping splits.
As the big dragon fell past them, Dorelle caught a glimpse of Ferren’s furious face. She was ready and sent her last arrow deep into his shoulder, throwing him back against the safety straps. His fury changed to shock, then the pair dropped out of Dorelle’s sight.
Why didn’t you kill him?
“I… I couldn’t.”
Mashira watched the big dragon spiral down to the water. On her neck, the man stirred.
“Well, maybe the kraken will do it for you, then.” Her passenger was giving her a weak smile. “Sorry I missed most of your fight.”
Deep below them, Zomel managed to change his fall to a crooked, lopsided spiral.
“They might yet make it to the shore or at least to shallow water,” Dorelle said quietly. “But I don’t care. I’ll take you to Hery Bay, where my mother can set your leg.”
“That would be very nice of you.” The spark was back in her passenger’s eyes.
Already, Mashira was winging towards the fishing village.
Zomel and his rider will cause more trouble, the dragon said after a while.
Dorelle sighed. “Maybe the General can help. But I doubt it. Wing Commanders can run their wing any way they want.”
“No, they cannot,” the man riding in front of her said. “Especially if dragon mortality is unusually high in their wing and the first defection in decades happens under them.”
Dorelle looked at him sharply. “How would you know?”
He twisted to look back at her and smiled a little crookedly. “Trust me, I do. Ferren has been suspended for weeks, and the Forth Blue has been assigned to Kilden and her dragon Lendril.”
Dorelle took a deep breath. “So Ferren wasn’t under orders to kill us on sight?” She belatedly realized that she had just admitted to being the defector.
“Not at all. But of course, now I do wonder why you are coming back.”
The village was spread out below them; and Mashira entered a lazy glide to land on the beach.
“You’ve experienced the reason,” Dorelle said after a while. “I came to warn my family and my King of the kraken invasion. I was hoping to be fast enough.”
Once again, the man chuckled. “You got here in the nick of time to save me. That’s good enough.”
Dorelle smiled sadly. “Saving a single passenger from a doomed ship won’t redeem a deserter.”
“Saving the Crown Prince should.” The sparkle in his eyes was stronger than ever.
Dorelle’s mouth dropped open.
At that very moment, Mashira landed. People swarmed up, among them Dorelle’s parents.
“Careful!” Dorelle waved them back. “I have an injured passenger!” She wasn’t quite ready to reveal the Prince’s identity to the village just yet. She quickly unstrapped, slipped down her dragon’s side and helped release the ropes tying the Prince to Mashira’s neck.
She didn’t leave the Prince’s side as he was carried into her parent’s home. And she firmly shut the door on any villager who wanted to come inside.
“Mom, his leg is broken. We plucked him from a sinking ship.”
“And from the singes on your arm, I would say you fought that… that man Ferren and his ugly dragon.”
Dorelle nodded. “We won. Sort of.”
“Why did you come back?” Her mother gave her long look while deftly unwinding the rope around the prince’s boot.
Orl
en, that was his name, Dorelle suddenly remembered. She bit her lip as he paled and gritted his teeth.
“Giant kraken,” she said curtly, wanting to hold his hand and not daring to. “A whole army of them.”
“Ah.” Her father nodded sharply. “We lost only one boat and crew so far, but we heard rumors of bad losses and didn’t allow more than one out to sea, and none after it disappeared. Kraken are bad.”
“There are hundreds of them,” Dorelle said, her eyes never leaving the Prince’s. “And they are coming straight for our coast. I had to warn you and the whole kingdom.”
“King Elsen sent me to investigate the losses,” Orlen said quietly. “And I found out about them, but without… my daring dragonrider here, I would not have survived my discovery.”
Her name is Dorelle, Mashira said quietly, having missed nothing.
A smile flitted over Orlen’s face, only to be replaced by a grimace of pain as Dorelle’s mother cut away the boot and gently examined the broken leg.
“Yes, and I got us into a fight minutes after rescuing you,” Dorelle said grimly.
“Which you won because you and your dragon were inventive and clever, working as a team,” Orlen said quietly.
Dorelle felt her cheeks redden at the praise. “How do you know? You missed most of the fight.”
“I saw enough. The Skyforce will gladly take you back in.”
“But…” Both of Dorelle’s parents looked first at each other and then at the man lying on the bed.
“He’s the Crown Prince,” Dorelle whispered.
“Who obviously is going to need transport soon.” This time, Orlen grinned wickedly at Dorelle.
You’ll have us, Mashira said clearly. And no argument about that.
ABOUT TWO weeks later, Mashira took off from the beach of the fishing village. This time, Orlen was sitting behind Dorelle, in the normal position for passengers. On his leg he wore a sturdy, protective cast; and his crutches had been strapped to Mashira’s back.
“Let’s fly straight to Asbanmor,” Orlen suggested.
Dorelle sighed. “I don’t want to get into another fight, just because someone thinks bringing a deserter to bay will be good for their career. And going straight to the capital means that we will meet other dragons.”
“Well, as long as Mashira remains golden, we’ll certainly stand out. But if she assumes the colors of any wing, people will have to check twice.”
Good point. Although I do like my gold, Mashira said. A moment later, she was wearing the blue and single gold band of the First Blue Wing.
“Thank you, my dear.” Dorelle patted Mashira’s neck gratefully.
Despite her misgivings, the first day of travel went by without meeting any other dragons. Finally, they spiraled down on a village that was often used as relay station and catered to dragons and riders.
“I will not hide,” the Prince had said very clearly at Dorelle’s objection to stopping here.
And as if to underline their fears, another dragon was sunning itself on a rocky outcrop next to the few houses.
It’s Bedelin! Mashira turned her head back to turn one eye on Dorelle. Look!
The dragonrider took another look and then smiled. “I didn’t recognize her because of her courier colors. That’s wonderful!”
Suddenly, Dorelle couldn’t wait to get on the ground and talk to Bryal. Only now did she realize how much she had missed her wing mates.
Mashira landed gently, despite her rider’s hurry. She patiently waited until all gear had been removed and until Orlen had carefully stepped away from her, before taking off and joining Bedelin on the rock.
Suddenly, a female figure came running out of the dragonrider inn.
“Dorelle! I can’t believe it’s you!”
Bryal stopped when she noticed that Dorelle wasn’t alone.
“Gods, did … but no. Bedelin said nothing of Zomel.”
Dorelle hugged her former wing mate and smiled. “No, even though they tried. They lost the fight.”
Bryal paled. “You fought Ferren and Zomel?”
“So they did,” Orlen said with a certain amount of pride in his voice. “And came out of it almost unscathed.”
Bryal looked at the Prince for the first time, and her eyes went wide. “Your Highness! But … but you’re supposed to be at sea!”
“Yes, well. Let’s get something to eat and then we’ll talk.”
Soon, they were sitting at a table, with generous amounts of stew and bread in reach. Dorelle told the tales of Orlen’s rescue and of her fight with Zomel, but left out the kraken danger. That was for the King’s ears first.
“And now we’re headed to the Palace.” She shot a glance at the Prince, who smiled silently, the sparkle in his eyes very much present.
“Well, what can I say, Dorelle?” Bryal’s eyes were still wide. “You and Mashira are always in the thick of it. Not that I’m not grateful for your help, mind you, but I prefer our current, almost predictable life!”
Dorelle laughed. “I suppose we are! And I’m so glad you got pulled into courier duty. What happened after I left?”
“I can’t believe you really went straight to the Skyforce General”, Bryal said, her eyes dancing. “But it sure got things moving. The very next morning, Ferren was relieved of his command, and then Kildren and Lendil took over. They ran us all through some exercises; and then she sent Bedelin and me off to courier service right away. She said we were exactly right for that kind of work.”
“I bet you were relieved.”
Bryal laughed. “Relieved? That doesn’t even begin to describe it! Here we were, thinking it was Bedelin’s last sunrise, and at the evening we were celebrating our arrival in the courier barracks!”
Dorelle’s eyes were brimming with tears at the news.
Orlen put his hand on top of Dorelle’s. “You did exactly the right thing. You looked out for the dragons.”
“I’m so glad it worked out. I’m so glad Gerdal listened to me.” She sniffled.
“Dorelle, it will work out for you as well. I promise.”
And if not, we can always run again, Mashira said gently. We have a home away from home.
Orlen cocked his head, but didn’t say anything out loud.
He wants to know more about that, Mashira explained.
Later, Dorelle sent back.
“So, what are you going to do next?” Bryal asked, her eyes bright with wine.
Dorelle shrugged. “It all depends on His Highness. We are just his transport.”
Orlen gave her a quick glare then took a deep breath. “Tomorrow, we will report to my father. I suppose he will have some tasks for me and possibly you.”
Dorelle blinked. “’We’ will report?”
“Of course.”
The sparkle in Orlen’s eyes was unfair, Dorelle thought idly, then giddiness overtook her. She was going to see King Elsen himself?
It took her a long time to find sleep that night.
WHEN THEY arrived at the capital city around noon of the next day, they were challenged by two very large dragons sporting the purple body and royal blue bands of the King’s personal guard.
We are carrying the Crown Prince. He must report to the King immediately, Mashira explained.
The dragons fell in beside her, guiding them to a landing area next to the palace.
Guards rushed out of the large door, swords ready, then slowed down as the recognized the Crown Prince. Dorelle slipped down Mashira’s side first, grabbing the crutches, then helping Orlen to reach the ground safely.
“Identify yourself!” the guard captain barked at Dorelle.
The dragonrider suppressed a sigh. “Dorelle and Mashira, no Wing”, she answered crisply enough and perversely enjoyed the confused look on the man’s face. Then understanding dawned, and the captain stiffened, looking offended.
“Easy, Stergen,” Orlen said, settling into his crutches. “She saved my life. Treat her and her dragon with respect.”
&nbs
p; “As you wish.” The guard captain looked unhappy, but seemed to accept the Crown Prince’s order. “Can we help you?”
“Yes, you can. Please send a runner to my father. We have to talk to him immediately.”
Now Stergen did stare at Dorelle. “You want her with you?”
“You heard me.” Orlen’s voice went cold.
The guard captain cleared his throat, but waved one of his men to do the errand. “I shall accompany you, then.”
Orlen softened a little. “Do as you must. Rest assured that this dragonrider presents no danger to me, nor the king.”
He proceeded to make his way into the palace. Dorelle refused to leave his side, as Stergen discovered to his chagrin.
Long wide stairs led to the level of the throne room; and Orlen had to fight his way up. Dorelle would have loved to help him, but the guard captain’s glare made her bite her lip and stay silent.
Finally, Orlen stood at the top of the stairs, panting a little. A runner boy came up to them at this moment, skidding to a stop when he saw the Crown Prince.
“The King wants to meet you in his private office. Both of you.”
“Very good. Thank you.” Orlen smiled at the boy, who took off at a much reduced speed.
Dorelle kept track of the way out, just in case. It wasn’t really hard, the large corridor leading to the throne room branched off to the right. They had to pass two more guards there, then Orlen himself opened a simple wooden door and waved Dorelle inside.
When the door was closed behind him, Dorelle turned and realized that it was heavily reinforced from the inside. She breathed a sigh of relief before turning towards the King. Shocked at her lack of manners, she bowed deeply.
Orlen chuckled gently. “Don’t worry, Dorelle. This is a private meeting, not even an audience. No need to be formal.”
He hobbled up to table and nodded to his father who was just getting up from behind a large desk.
“I’d like to introduce Dorelle, rider of Mashira, formerly of the Fourth Blue Wing. She rescued me as I found the answers to the missing ships—and she has more news about the threat to us.”
He gestured for Dorelle to come closer and sit beside him before sinking into a chair with a sigh of relief. “I will be very glad once this leg is healed.”
Dorelle's Journey Page 5
